Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires #5)

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Asher

Alexis is looking at me again out of the corner of her eye.

I never expected to get stuck with her tonight. I didn’t even know she was going to be here.

I lost Harper just before the auction began. I thought she would meet me in the auction hall after Layla showed her the ice sculptures.

Since I know how excitable the girls can get when they’re all together, I thought I’d allow them the time to hang out. Admittedly I also wanted Harper to spend time with the girls because I’m in a weird mood tonight. Alexis’ presence has only amplified it.

She’s here because she managed to rearrange her flight to the Maldives.

I told her about the event yesterday, not knowing she’d use it as a way to get closer to me.

Yesterday after we hung out, I got a rude awakening. I realized that as much as I like her she’s not who I want.

The weeks have flown by since I entered this fake arrangement with Harper and there is still only one woman I can’t get out of my head. The woman who continues to be off limits to me.

Something I was reminded of by the email I got from Josh earlier today, which I still haven’t responded to.

Lisa told him the press ran a wild story about Harper and I dating. Although Josh was his usual lighthearted self and joked about the idea being ridiculous, I know him. So I knew he was testing the waters and trying to find out without asking if it was true.

The message felt like a reminder of the warning he gave me years ago.

I didn’t reply because I didn’t feel like it. I didn’t feel like lying. Or like justifying myself.

The auction ends ten minutes later and Alexis and I stand with everyone else.

“Do you want to grab a few drinks?” she asks.

I give her credit for trying even though I set her straight yesterday. I told her that Harper and I were dating. Alexis seemed to understand but I knew she was disappointed. Obviously not enough to deter her from coming here tonight.

“No. I should go find Harper.”

“Of course. She’s a lucky girl.”

“I think it’s me who’s lucky.”

“I’m jealous I missed the mark.” A light chuckle falls from her glossy red lips. “Here’s hoping you’ll still keep me in mind if… things don’t work out.”

Everything about her body language and the way she’s looking at me tells me she wants me.

Logic is still whispering to me that Alexis would be the easy option, but as I stare at her I know deep down that if I pick her I’ll feel trapped for the rest of my life.

I’m about to answer Alexis and tell her that I’d like for us to remain friends when I spot Nolan and Harper walking across the third-floor balcony. The asshole has his arm around her and is guiding her toward the pool lounge.

What the actual fuck?

What the hell is Harper doing with him? I thought she was with the girls.

A glance to my left reveals that the girls are still together. Harper must have left them. I just don’t know when. And I can guarantee Nolan whisked her away.

I look back at Alexis who’s staring at me, waiting eagerly for an answer.

“Sorry, Alexis, I gotta go. There’s something I have to take care of.” I try to keep the irritation out of my voice.

“Oh.” Her smile fades and disappointment takes its place. “Of course.”

“See you later.” I move away before she can say anything more, my eyes glued to Nolan and Harper as they continue their pursuit to the lounge.

I keep going, watching them until I’m at the wide sweeping stairs that will take me up to them.

I take the stairs two at a time then rush past the guests in the archway.

Once I’m in the pool lounge I spot Nolan and Harper at the furthest table. Harper is leaning over the table with her cue, getting ready to take her shot while Nolan is blatantly staring at her ass.

My blood heats and I want to rip his eyes from their sockets then squish them under my shoes like bugs.

I know I can’t blame him for looking at Harper. She’s beautiful and literally perfect, but he’s clearly still sniffing around her because she’s mine.

And she is. Mine.

Regardless of whatever arrangement we have, a part of me claimed her years ago and has never let go. That’s why I always get so worked up whenever I see her with another man. It’s because that part of me thinks she should be with me.

I march up to them. Nolan spots me first.

“Hey, Asher, just keeping your girl company while you were busy.” He gives me that stupid smile I can’t stand.

Harper straightens and the instant I look at her I can tell she’s pissed as fuck at me.

I want to ask her what I did but I want to deal with this douchebag first.

“Nolan, the next time you think it’s a good idea to steal my girl when we’re at an event be prepared to pick your teeth up off the ground.” My jaw clenches and I hope to God he doesn’t say anything I don’t like because I will answer him with my fist.

“Jesus, Asher. You need to take a chill pill. We were just playing pool.”

I step into his personal space. “I don’t care. I see what you’re trying to do here and it’s not going to work.”

He smirks. “You’re being paranoid.”

“No. I’m not. I’ll tolerate you at work but that’s as far as it goes. So stay the fuck away from my girl.”

“You know what? I’m going home,” Harper speaks up in a firm voice then sets her cue stick down and storms away.

I give Nolan a hard glare before I follow Harper. I know from the quickness in her pace and the tension in her shoulders that she’s definitely mad at me.

“Harper.”

She doesn’t stop. I catch up to her and take her arm but she wrenches it free of my grasp.

“Just leave me alone.”

“What the hell did I do now?”

She casts me a scathing look and walks even faster.

“Harper.”

“I said leave me alone.”

“No. Not until you tell me what the hell I did.”

She stops short and whirls around to face me, her eyes dark with anger. “Are you serious?”

“Please don’t tell me you’re mad about Nolan. There are things going on between us that you don’t understand.”

“This isn’t about Nolan.”

“Then what is it about?”

“Okay. Tell me if you think it’s acceptable that you act like I’m yours one moment then throw me away the next to pick up some woman who’s clearly after you.”

Shit, this is about Alexis. “Harper. I didn’t throw you away.”

“Yes, you did. I came here for you . And if you think that ditching me to hang out with whatever the hell her name is isn’t throwing me away, then I don’t know what planet you’re on.”

“I didn’t know she was going to be here.”

She shakes her head and drags in a slow breath. The slow, steady kind of breath a person would take to stop them hyperventilating. “I can’t do this anymore. Find another way for me to pay you back. At this rate I’d rather owe Vito than you.”

Before I can answer she turns on her heel and carries on walking.

I follow her into the elevator that just opened its doors.

“Asher, go back to your family and leave me alone.”

The doors close and the elevator starts moving. As I look at her and the tears brimming in her eyes I just know that if I let her go again she won’t just stay with Beth this time. This time she won’t come back.

Thinking quickly, I do the first thing that comes to mind and press the emergency button, stopping the elevator mid-descent.

“What are you doing?” Harper gasps, looking from me to the big red button with wide eyes.

“Is everything okay in there?” comes a deep, businesslike voice through the intercom. It’s Archie, the head of security.

“Archie, it’s Asher Le Blanche. I need a private moment. Don’t move this elevator or open the doors until I say.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Le Blanche.”

It’s a good thing I am who I am and that my name carries so much power in the circles I travel. The Le Blanche name can sometimes act as an all-access pass to requests like these.

“This is crazy. You can’t trap me in here, Asher.” Harper balls her hands at her sides.

“I just did. We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yes, there obviously is.”

“What are you going to tell me?” Her gaze intensifies. “That I’m the fake girlfriend so I should feel nothing? Or that I should be totally fine with Alexis turning up here, there, and everywhere to throw herself at you?”

“I told you I didn’t know she was going to be here.”

“It doesn’t matter. You like her. You told me. So why the hell am I here? Why the hell am I here, Asher? She’s not exactly hard to get. Why didn’t you just pick her from the start if you like her so much?”

There it is. The question of the hour. It seems more pertinent now that we’re three weeks into our arrangement.

“I needed more time.”

“Well, I think you’ve had quite enough time. You obviously want to be with her, so let me make things easier for you and back out now.”

God, she has everything all wrong. “No.”

She presses a hand to her heart as if she’s in physical pain. “I can’t do this again with you.”

Her words grab my attention and I instantly think of the past. She said again and it didn’t sound like she was talking about weeks ago.

I gaze into her eyes. “What do you mean by again , Harper?”

“Years ago.”

My stomach knots then clamps and my heart stops beating in my chest.

Years ago. The night of the accident. “You remember?”

“I never forgot.” Her voice lowers to a cautious whisper.

I stare back at her in disbelief, my heart beating again but faster than normal while my lungs lock.

Harper never forgot what happened. God. I want to rip into her and trash her out for keeping such a secret, but reasoning stops me.

Because didn’t we both take the easy way out? She pretended to forget and I never mentioned it. It was like the incident never happened so neither of us had to face it.

Pretending to forget is such a Harper thing to do but unlike her other antics, I understand why she did it. At the same time I want to hear it from her lips.

“Do you remember everything else?”

“No. How crazy is that? When I woke up from that coma I remembered that night with you but nothing from the six years before that. I didn’t even remember that my mother died. But I remembered that night.”

“ God … Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It hurt less to pretend.”

“Harper—”

“Don’t. I already feel bad enough and I can’t take any more. Please go be with Alexis so I can be over you.” A tear slides down her cheek. The sight pulls on my insides like a thick rope.

I stare at her, taking in her distress and the wealth of hurt in her eyes. That hurt does something to me, pushing me to be the ruthless man I normally am who takes what he wants. It’s time to become that guy again. The real me. Fuck the consequences.

“I can’t be with Alexis,” I rasp. As soon as I speak those words I feel free. They feel like the first right thing I’ve said in years.

Harper stares back at me, confused. “Why not?”

“Because… I want you.”

Her lips part and she stares back at me in shock. She seems frozen in my confession. The slow rise and fall of her chest is the only thing moving.

“What?” Her voice is small and soft, her tone careful, as if she’s scared the question will change the moment.

“I want you.” I reach out and touch her cheek, tracing my thumb over her smooth, silky skin.

The contact sends my mind into overdrive and I find that I can’t take any more either. My pretense ends here.

The urge to taste her and take her overwhelms me so I move closer. She moves toward me, too, and I crush my lips to hers.

I taste her desire and the need in her hot little mouth, as I explore her like I want to conquer every piece of her. Then, fuck, I kiss her back the way I’ve always wanted to. Without restraint, without limit, without all the reasons that made her off limits to me.

I’m taking what’s mine tonight.

Her.